you probably wonder what's going on in these houses in washington. they put themselves and their political gains first and put their future in prosperity second. hey, you voted them in. remember what happened the last time washington got into a budget battle like this? lawmakers put a band aid on the problem and the u.s. lost its aaa credit rating in the process. i warned you about the economic storm headed our way, partly because of europe and partly because of this fiscal cliff. i also told you about an american economic renaissance that could be just ahead. just beyond the storm clouds. the fiscal cliff is fixable. every day washington fails to make a deal, more damage is being done. john king, ken rogath is the former chief economist at the international monetary fund and diane swonk joins us from mezro financial. john, some people say don't sweat it. the threat of going over the fiscal cliff is overblown. it will get done in an 11th hour deal. as you read the politics at play, what do you see? >> both sides digging in. you played the president s